


The world got worse, who says we have to

by Dovesadumbass



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Apocalypse, Eventual Romance, Gen, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:27:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27403483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dovesadumbass/pseuds/Dovesadumbass
Summary: When the apocalypse came it wasn’t in zombies, or asteroids, or nuclear winter, or any Big Bang. The apocalypse came slowly, in a disease, flu-like in symptoms, but far far worse. Before a vaccine could be developed 40% of the world had caught it, many of which were world leaders, and hundreds of millions of ordinary people had died. In two years, the world’s population went from almost 8 billion to 2 billion, half of which are permanently disabled by the virus’s long-term effects. Those numbers are if we’re lucky, and we aren’t.Looters rule the streets, and large settlements carefully guard their borders, but what happens to those who aren't in either? What happens to the people in between?
Kudos: 9





	The world got worse, who says we have to

**Author's Note:**

> I swear this didn't start off as a vent fic but I think that might be what it becomes

When the apocalypse came it wasn’t in zombies, or asteroids, or nuclear winter, or any Big Bang. The apocalypse came slowly, in a disease, flu-like in symptoms, but far far worse. Before a vaccine could be developed 40% of the world had caught it, many of which were world leaders, and hundreds of millions of ordinary people had died. In two years, the world’s population went from almost 8 billion to 2 billion, half of which are permanently disabled by the virus’s long-term effects. Those numbers are if we’re lucky, and we aren’t.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Virgil runs down the street. His head whips behind him to glance at the group giving chase. He turns into a narrow alleyway, barely room for one of his assailants to follow at a time. Through the alley he glances left then right. He runs towards and through the shattered glass door of a big box store. His footsteps and those of the ones chasing him echo in the dark and empty store. He weaves through empty shelves and overturned clothes racks. He stabilizes himself against a wall inside a furniture display and lets his back slide down the wall until he’s sitting. 

The nearest looter’s footsteps echo in his ears like gunshots, piercing the air, terrifying Virgil into holding his breath and squeezing his eyes shut. The man stomps past him in heavy sounding boots, before calling to his buddies.

“The damn bitch must have gone a different way! Find him!”

As the footsteps recede from him, Virgil exhales, and opens his eyes, looking down at the bundle clutched tight in his hands, stolen from the looters. He unwraps the fabric around it to reveal a bright but slightly crushed package of twinkies, a vestige of the world before. 

It feels like he’s waiting for hours and still not trusting the coast to be clear. He stays in the hiding place, occasionally carefully rearranging himself to be more comfortable. Having to restrain a yawn reminds him how long it's been since he slept and even longer since he slept in a bed. Carefully scooting further down the wall into a lying position, he decides it’s not the worst place he’s ever slept and dozes off, clutching the twinkies to his chest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Virgil’s eyes shoot open, sensing a hand shaking him, and he moves to sit against the corner of his hiding spot, knees pulled up to his chest to defend the stolen food. Finding the source of the disturbance, his eyes land on a man, crouched down in front of him, with chocolate brown eyes and scruffy blond hair pulled into a ponytail.

“Hey, it's ok, it's ok, I won't hurt you, what’s your name?” he asks softly, as if talking to a frightened animal. When Virgil doesn't respond he continues, “You don’t wanna talk? That's ok, I’m Patton, do you have any water? Just nodding yes or no is alright,” He shakes his head, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Patton slings a bag Virgil hadn't noticed off of his shoulder and unzips it, pulling out a small plastic water bottle and holding it out to Virgil, “Here you go, I know it’s not much but-”

Virgil interrupts him, snatching the water bottle out of his hand and opening it with his teeth, smelling it before drinking.

“You must have really been thirsty, I’m not surprised, are you alone?” Patton asks, moving slowly into a sitting position on the floor across from Virgil, who nods and continues chugging the water. 

“Would you like to come back with me? I'm not from a big community, but three of us found an abandoned townhouse and have been hunkering down there.” Patton asks cautiously, as Virgil finishes the water. 

He nods, before finally speaking, his voice scratchy and quiet from disuse, “Thank you, I’m Virgil, how far?”

Patton beams at getting the anxious man to speak, “About four blocks south of here, away from the looter’s current base,” He stands offering a hand to Virgil, who doesn't take it, standing on his own and surprising both of them by being several inches taller than Patton.

"Well aren't you just full of surprises!" Patton beams and steps back slightly, beginning to walk towards the building's exit. Virgil follows silently, still clutching the bundle to his chest carefully.

"Let's be careful leaving, the looter base is a bit close for comfort, but luckily we're walking in the other direction." Patton opens the door and steps outside first, looking both ways before opening it all the way for Virgil to follow him. Virgil's eyes go wide and dark down to his twinkies at the mention of the looters, but as he follows Patton out the door they blink closed in the light.

"Fuck that's bright," He mutters bringing one hand to cover his eyes.

"Language!" Patton scolds, laughing at the taller's reaction. Virgil opens his eyes to glare down and the other for a moment before the pair begin to walk away from the store and to safety.

~~~~

"Well here we are!" Patton pulls a key on a chain from beneath his shirt and unlocks the front door of a townhouse with the windows boarded up. swinging open the door he shouts, "Guys I’m home and I brought someone you should meet!"  
he encourages Virgil to step inside as footsteps are followed by the appearance of two men, looking to be about the same age as Virgil, one in a white t-shirt and one in a black polo with a blue collar.

"uh... hi," Virgil waves slightly, sinking into himself despite being tall.

Patton begins to introduce them pointing in turn, "that’s Roman."

"it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Roman bows with a grand sweeping gesture.

"And that's Logan."

"salutations, why are you here?" Logan adjusts his glasses and crosses his arms.

"oh hush! Roman, Logan, this is Virgil!" He makes a dramatic reveal gesture.

"I brought twinkies," Virgil reveals what he has in his hands.

"That's a wonderful reason! May we have some?" Roman steps over quickly, matching Virgil's height.

"I found him in the old store, hiding from the JRs, can he please stay?" Patton makes his best puppy eyes at Logan, who glances at Roman, already stuffing his face.

"He's a guy, not some puppy who followed you home!" Logan pinches the bridge of his nose, sharply exhaling, "and you know the three of us are already struggling to feed ourselves," he glances up and the boy in question, thin and scrawny beneath his purple t-shirt, but with the lean muscle of a person who's run too much and eaten too little, "he can stay for a couple days. Don't make me regret this" he directs the last comment to Virgil.

Virgil gives him a thumbs up, not wanting to speak with half a twinkie in his mouth. Logan grumbles and leaves the room. The rest watch Logan leave quietly, an awkward silence hanging thick in the air.

Roman gulps down the rest of his twinkie before speaking, “Don't worry about Specs, he’s just being cautious. I’m sure he’ll like you eventually!”

“Maybe, but I wouldn't want to intrude.” Virgil lets Roman fully hold the twinkies box and steps back, “Thank you for letting me stay here but I promise I'll be out of your hair soon.”

Patton shakes his head, “Don't say that, we’re happy to have you here, I promise Logan isn’t usually like this.”

“What are you, some emo disaster? You can stay as long as you need! Let us worry about Logan.” He smirks, and gestures to himself and Patton before continuing, “Now let me show you to your room.”

Patton smiles and interjects, “Oh! I’ll get pillows!”

Virgil follows them up the stairs, smiling softly and thinking about how glad he is that the shorter man found him.


End file.
